This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
It turns out that cooking a tomahawk steak at home is totally doable and so worth it. I’ll show you how to sear, baste, and finish this steakhouse favorite so it’s juicy, tender, and full of flavor, at a fraction of the cost! Served with homemade herb compound butter, every bite is delicious.
This is my never-fail recipe for perfect, medium-rare tomahawk steak. It always wows at dinner and is as easy to cook as a New York strip steak. What sets this tomahawk steak apart is the compound butter! It melts over the hot steak, seeping into every crevice and adding a rich, garlicky finish. It’s bold and buttery, bringing the whole thing together in the best possible way.
About My Tomahawk Steak Recipe
- Simple to make. The most tender and flavorful steak recipes follow a similar formula: high heat for a good sear, the right timing, and enough resting. That’s exactly what we’re doing here.
- Budget-friendly. I’ve seen golden tomahawk steaks that cost a bajillion dollars at fancy steakhouses. With butter, herbs, and the right technique, you can serve up a juicy tomahawk steak (or even tomahawk pork chops!) right at home for a lot less.
- Fancy. Tomahawk steaks are a juicy bone-in steak, also called cowboy steaks, and are pretty eye-catching. It’s one of my favorite meals, but I don’t need to splurge at a restaurant to enjoy it.
- It feeds a small crowd. Tomahawks are BIG, so they’re perfect for feeding a small group of family or friends. Usually, two steaks are enough to feed four people. Just add a platter of my easy roasted mushrooms on the side and dig in!
What Is a Tomahawk Steak?
A tomahawk steak is a ribeye beef steak with a portion of the rib bone left intact. The bone is “Frenched”, or trimmed to have the meat removed, the same technique you’d use for a rack of lamb. The bone not only makes for an impressive presentation but also adds a lot of flavor to the meat. Tomahawk steaks are premium-grade beef, which is why they’re more expensive than cuts like regular ribeye or sirloin.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Seasonings – For the steak seasoning, I use a blend of dried thyme, oregano, and basil, plus kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Steak – You’ll need two tomahawk steaks, but this recipe turns out great with ribeye, too.
- Olive Oil – Or another good-quality oil for searing, like ghee or avocado oil.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter to melt in the pan for basting.
- Rosemary and Garlic – Adding fresh rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves flavors the butter and brings that flavor to the steak. From a NY strip to a coulotte steak recipe, rosemary is always my choice to pair with beef, but you can use other herbs, like thyme, if you’d like.
- Herb Compound Butter – Also called finishing butter, it’s softened butter mixed with herbs and seasonings to add flavor. I add a dollop of it over the steak when serving.
Recipe Tips
- Cut against the grain. Whether you’re grilling flank steak or roasting a London broil, before you slice the steak, always check which direction the muscle fibers run through the meat. This is the “grain”, and you want to slice across (perpendicular) to the lines for tender cuts.
- Work with room temperature steaks. Take the steaks out of the fridge ahead of time to take the chill off and let them rest after the seasoning is added. Room-temperature steaks cook more evenly, while cold steaks seize up in the hot pan and can turn out chewy.
- Preheat the skillet. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and let the oil heat up, too, before you add the steaks. If the skillet isn’t hot enough the steaks won’t sear.
- Rest the steak after cooking. Don’t slice into your tomahawk steak right away. Rest the steak for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving, so the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: I like to arrange my tomahawk steaks on a large platter, topped with compound butter and fresh herbs, and serve with a fresh green salad or my shrimp Caesar salad for a surf-and-turf moment.
- Steakhouse sides: We love serving steak with crispy potatoes, but a baked potato is always a great choice, too. Add roasted asparagus or garlicky sautéed broccoli to turn it into a steakhouse feast
- For dessert, try a slice of cherry chocolate cake!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Tomahawk Steak Recipe
Ingredients
For the herb compound butter
- ½ stick salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon zest
For the steaks
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 tomahawk steaks, you can use ribeye instead but the bone in the tomahawk steak makes for great presentation
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or ghee
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 whole cloves garlic
Instructions
- Make the compound butter. Combine the butter, pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and lemon zest. Use a fork to mash the herbs into the butter.
- Chill. Wrap the compound butter in parchment paper (I like to make a log shape) and chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours (ideally overnight). You can use the compound butter right away, but the flavors will intensify if you give it some time in the fridge.
- Make the seasoning mix. Whisk together the salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and basil.
- Prepare the steaks. Place the steaks on a cutting board and pat both sides dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each steak with the seasoning mix. Gently press the seasoning into the steaks and let them rest for 10 minutes or so.
- Sear. Heat a cast iron pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for 10 seconds. Add the steaks to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Baste. Flip the steaks and add the butter, rosemary, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the steaks reach an internal temperature of 130°F (for medium-rare). While the steaks are cooking, tilt the pan occasionally and spoon the melted butter over the meat.
- Rest. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing them against the grain.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Common Questions
A tomahawk is essentially a bone-in ribeye with the full rib bone left long and cleaned for dramatic presentation. Also, because it’s cut from the rib primal, it has generous marbling, which means rich beefy flavor and tenderness. That marbling melts during cooking, basting the meat from the inside.
The exact cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the steaks. Buy steaks of similar size so they cook evenly. Most tomahawk steaks are cooked medium-rare when the internal temperature reaches 130ºF (the steaks finish cooking as they rest off the heat afterward). A meat thermometer is always a great idea!
Yes, letting the steaks rest is key to keeping them juicy. When you pull a tomahawk off the heat, all the juices are racing around from the high temperature. Give it a few minutes to rest, and those juices settle back into the meat instead of spilling all over your cutting board.
How to Cook a Perfect Tomahawk Steak
Remember that perfect steak “formula” from earlier? Here’s how easy it is to put it into action. Follow the steps below to cook a tender and juicy tomahawk steak on the stove in just 7 minutes!
- Season the steak. Start by whisking together the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Pat the steaks dry, then use your hands to rub the seasoning over both sides. Afterward, leave the steaks to rest for 10 minutes.
- Sear the steak. Next, get a heavy-bottomed skillet nice and hot on the stovetop. Heat some olive oil in the pan, and then add the steaks. Cook for 3 minutes (do your best not to move the steaks at this time).
- Baste. Flip, and add butter, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves to the skillet. While the steaks sear on the other side, tilt the pan and baste the meat with the melted butter.
- Rest. After 3 minutes or so, your tomahawk steaks should be a perfect medium-rare. Move them from the pan to a cutting board. Don’t slice yet! Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, and slice against the grain so that the meat stays tender.
How To Make The Compound Butter
- Soften the butter. Take your butter out well ahead of time so that it comes to room temperature. Cold butter is next to impossible to mix.
- Mix. Next, mash the softened butter together with cracked pepper and fresh herbs. I use a combination of minced garlic, fresh lemon zest, and chopped fresh thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
- Chill. Wrap the compound butter into a tight log using plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pop it into the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve.
Make Ahead Tip
I’ll usually mix up and chill my compound butter the day before I cook the steaks. Otherwise, I make sure to make it far enough in advance that it has at least a couple of hours to chill in the fridge. While it’s fine to use right away, the flavors get so much better with time!
How to Soften Butter Quickly
I use a fail-proof trick to soften butter quickly. Add boiling water to a ceramic bowl, then leave it for a few minutes so the hot water preheats the bowl. Afterward, dump out the water and place the bowl over the butter. The residual heat softens the butter in minutes!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover steak off the bone, in an airtight container to keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. To avoid overcooking the leftovers, reheat the tomahawk steak covered in the oven at a low temperature (250ºF) until the meat’s heated through. I much prefer the oven over the microwave for such a tender cut of steak.
- Freeze. Store the cooked and cooled steak airtight and freeze it for up to 3 months.
She has interesting recipes Good directions and I can watch my weight